1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved bullet target stand. More specifically, the present invention relates to a folding target stand which is capable of presenting a bullet target to a shooter at varying heights, and which may be operated without the use of tools.
2. State of the Art
Bullet shooting and shooting competitions are quite common, both among hunters, sportsmen, outdoor or gun enthusiasts, and police, military personnel, etc. Shooting is undertaken as a recreational activity and as training. Frequently, shooting competitions are undertaken which involve a single shooter or multiple shooters. The shooters are required to accomplish a certain objective within a certain time period or with a particular accuracy. One such a shooting competition involves a wild west type shootout.
In such a shooting competition, multiple targets are placed at varying heights, distances, and locations within a shooting range or at some desired location. A shooter is required to hit the various targets in a particular order, or to hit the all of the targets as fast as possible, etc. It will be appreciated that much of the difficulty in having such a shooting competition is transporting the targets to the desired location and positioning the targets. Significant time is typically required to set up a number of targets. Additionally, many shooting ranges will not have a sufficient number of mounting brackets for mounting the desired targets, or the available mounting brackets will not be in the desired locations. Individuals or groups of shooters who desire to have such a competition may not have sufficient target mounts.
Additionally, many shooters simply desire a target stand which is easy to transport and operate. It is desirable to have a stand which may be operated without requiring the use of tools, and which allows a shooter to adjust the height of the target so as to accommodate various different shooting ranges or desired target positions.
There is thus a need for a target stand which is suitable for various target shooting situations including various shooting competitions. Such a target stand should allow the user to easily set up the target stand. Such a target stand should preferably allow a user to position the target at two or more heights. It is also preferable that a target stand allow a user to set up and operate the target stand without the use of tools. Preferably, the target stand is easily portable and configured so as to permit use in a variety of environments and a variety of different shooting scenarios.